Chinese ambassador lodges representations about Obama-Dalai meeting

WASHINGTON - Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai made solemn representations to the US government on Friday about President Barack Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama, urging Washington to immediately take effective measures to correct this mistake.

Tibet is an inseparable part of the Chinese territory and the Tibet issue is a pure domestic affair of China, Cui stressed.

He criticized the US government for severely interfering in China's domestic affair, breaking its promise not to support "Tibet independence," violating the basic norms governing international relations and damaging the China-US relations by arranging the Obama-Dalai meeting that has aroused China's strong indignation and firm opposition.

Defying China's protests, Obama held a closed-door meeting with the Dalai Lama at the White House Friday morning.

Obama reaffirmed that his country recognizes Tibet as part of China and does not support "Tibet independence," while urging China and the Dalai Lama to resume direct dialogue to resolve their long-standing differences.

Cui stressed that showing respect to each other's core interests and major concerns is key to ensuring the sound and steady development of the China-US relations.

He strongly urged the US side to seriously consider China's stance, and immediately take effective measures to offset the negative influence.

The Chinese diplomat also demanded Washington stop interfering in China's internal affairs by making use of Tibet-related issues, and stop conniving at and supporting anti-China secessionist activities made by the Dalai Lama and his followers.

Speaking to Chinese-language media, Cui dismissed as "self-deceiving" the US claim that the Dalai Lama was regarded as "an internationally respected religious and cultural leader," because Washington knows well the true colors of the Tibetan monk.

China holds that the Dalai Lama is in nature a political exile who has been engaged in secessionist activities under the cloak of religion and firmly opposes any foreign leader's meeting with him in any form.

The Obama-Dalai meeting only causes troubles for the United States itself, which would definitely undermine its own interests, Cui warned, urging Washington to immediately take concrete actions to regain the trust of the Chinese government and people.